1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus in which operation mistake at the time of reading a document can be prevented, and a copying machine equipped with the image reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a copying machine etc. equipped with an image reading apparatus, image copying has been heretofore made in such a manner that an image formed on a document is read from the document and printed on a sheet of paper. Generally, when a read start key is pushed down in the condition that a document cover is closed after a document is mounted on a document table, the document is copied. When a large number of documents need to be copied, much labor is however required for completing the copying of all the documents if a large number of operations are required for completing the copying of one document.
Therefore, a copying machine described in JP-A-H3-264964 is designed as follows. When the document cover is closed after documents are set on the document table (document mounting table), copying of the documents starts. The copying of the documents is continued until the number of copied documents reaches a set number or until a copy key is pushed down. That is, when the document cover is closed, copying of documents can start without any operation of designating the start of copying (e.g. pushing a document read start key). Accordingly, a procedure in user's operations is omitted to reduce labor imposed on the user. In the copying machine described in JP-A-H3-264964, a copy mode selection switch is provided for selecting one copy mode from two copy modes, namely, a first mode in which copying of documents starts when the read start key is pushed down in the condition that the document cover is closed, and a second mode in which copying of documents starts when the document cover is closed.
JP-A-H3-264964 (FIG. 4) is referred to as a related art.
In JP-A-H3-264964, however, the copy mode selection switch is a slide switch. For example, a user may leave the copy mode selection switch in the second mode after copying of documents in the second mode is completed. If a next user performs copying of documents in this condition without checking the copy mode selection switch, copying starts when the next user closes the document cover. That is, there is a possibility that copying not wished by the next user will be executed.